Teaching “Home” in the curriculum

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines how elementary school teachers teach the notion of home in the curriculum, centring on the ‘All About Me’ and ‘Where We Live’ units. This study also illustrates how the notion of home presented through teaching practices can marginalise children, particularly those who are experiencing homelessness. Through teachers’ reflections on their teaching practices, this study examines the gap between the normalised depiction of home in the school curriculum and children’s diverse living situations. This study focuses on five first-grade teachers in different school districts who are enrolled in a graduate programme. The data were collected through an online survey and individual semi-structured interviews. The data reveal that the teachers tended to teach home as physical housing in a fixed location in the ‘All About Me’ and ‘Where We Live’ units. The limited notion of home in the curriculum unintentionally marginalised children experiencing homelessness. This study opens a space for conversations about how the notion of home in the school curriculum can be taught in sensitive and equitable ways to embrace all children.

KEYWORDS:

• Curriculum
• homelessness
• home
• teaching practices
• space
• standards

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).